Connector housing assemblies include a male housing for housing male electric connectors and a female housing for housing female electric connectors. The female electric connectors are configured to receive the male connectors.
Currently, the connector housing assemblies are shipped to the assembly worker in two packages. One of the packages contains a plurality of male housings and the other package contains a plurality of female housings. The assembly worker installs the male and female electric connectors in respective male and female housings and then joins the male and female housing together to complete the connector housing.
The male and female housing includes a Terminal Positioning Assurance (TPA). The TPAs include a plurality of through holes and guiding ribs which position the male and female connectors so as to ensure a proper electric connection between the male and female electric connectors.
The TPAs are configured to be seated in corresponding slots of the male and female housing. In particular, the TPAs are configured to engage the respective male and female housing in a pre-stage condition and a locked condition. This allows the TPAs to be secured to respective male and female housings during shipment and facilitates the introduction of respective male and female electric connectors. Once the male and female electric connectors are introduced into the male and female housing respectively, the TPAs are pushed into the locked condition so as to position the male and female electric connectors in a condition for a proper electric connection when the female housing is inserted into the male housing.
A prior art connector housing assembly 200 is provided in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates how the current female housing 202 has a generally planar top surface 202a, accordingly, the TPA extends beyond the top surface of the female housing when in the pre-stage condition. As such, the TPA may inadvertently get pushed into the locked condition during shipment, which requires the installer to position the TPA into the pre-stage condition in order to insert the female electric connector.
Further, the installation of the female housing into the male housing requires overcoming a certain amount of resistance, as the male and female housing are configured to engage each other in a tight-fit engagement. As there are electric wires protruding from the ends, the installer must grip the top and bottom surface of the female housing. This may cause fatigue.
Accordingly, it remains desirable to have a connector housing assembly wherein the TPA configured to maintain the TPA in a pre-stage condition during shipment. It further remains desirable to have a connector housing assembly wherein the female housing includes a surface configured to facilitate the engagement of the female housing into the male housing.